A day after his 21st birthday, Austin Hollins scored a career-high 20 points to lead the Gophers past American University 72-36 in Friday’s season opener at Williams Arena.

Hollins added five rebounds, five steals and shot 50 percent from the floor in what looked more like a third exhibition game for Tubby Smith’s Gophers.

“Joe [Coleman] and Austin really set the tone,” said Smith, Minnesota’s sixth-year head coach, “by getting into the passing lane, steals, pushing the ball up and down the court.”

Coleman and Hollins combined for 10 of Minnesota’s 15 steals as the Gophers used a full-court pressure defense that forced 22 American turnovers.

“Defense gives the team energy,” Hollins said. “When we get steals … running up and down the court, getting layups — our adrenaline is up.”

Sophomore point guard Andre Hollins said Minnesota’s pressure defense was a sign of things to come.

“We’re one of the more athletic teams in the Big Ten,” he said. “This’ll just help get us conditioned and ready.”

Andre Hollins said while the public may be impressed with steals and turnovers, the Gophers will build on a stat that doesn’t appear in the box score — deflections. He said the team set a record under Smith with 57 deflections Friday.

Smith said Thursday that he would sub in fewer players at a time. He did that, but he still used a high number of substitutions.